Name:

Hour:

Date:

Arranging Electrons in Atoms

We have learned that electrons occupy fixed energy levels. Each energy level is divided
into one or more sublevels, which are in turn divided into one or more orbitals. When we
construct an atom conceptually, we add electrons into the orbitals according to specific
rules. This building up of an atoms electrons follows the aufbau principle, which
means building up in German. The other two rules are Hunds rule and the Pauli
exclusion principle. Hunds rule says that when you have a set of orbitals of equal energy
(in a sublevel), electrons are put into the orbitals one per orbital before pairing them up.
The Pauli exclusion principle says that an orbital can hold at most two electrons.
In this activity you will construct a model of the sublevels for the first three energy levels
and a portion of the fourth. You will use this model to explore the principles described
above and to practice writing electron configurations.
Construction of the Model
Materials
1Foamcore board, about 30 cm 90 cm
18Small paper cups (3 oz. bathroom size)
32googly eyes to serve as electrons
Staples
Masking tape
Markers
Procedure
1. Cut the paper cups so that they are approximately 3 cm high.
2. Write your name on the back of the foamcore board.
3. Prepare sublevels stapling together in a line the appropriate number
of cups to make four s-sublevels, three p-sublevels, and one dsublevel.

4. Attach the sublevels to the foamcore board with masking tape in

order of increasing energy, with the lowest energy sublevel at the
bottom of the foamcore board. Label each sublevel (e.g. 1s, 2s, 2p,
etc.).
5. Use your model to complete the table below.

Instructions
Add electrons to the orbitals in your model for each of the atoms listed in the table
below. Place the googly eye right side up to represent an electron with spin up and
upside down to represent spin down. Fill in the blanks in the table.
Atom

Total electrons

Electron Configuration

Number of Unpaired Electrons

1s1

He
1s22s22p1
N
Mg
15
22
Ge
1s22s22p63s23p5